Method of treating fabrics to render them adhesive.



UNITED sTATns rnrnntr OFFICE.

FREDERICK J. GLEASON, O1 WALPOLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGh'OI. 'IO MASSACHUSETTS CHEMICAL COMPANY, OF WALIOLE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 01" MAINE.

IETHOD OF TREATING FABRICS TO RENDER THEM ADHESIVE. I

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented June 22, 1909.-

Application filed October 23, 1907. Serial No. 398,754.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. GLnAsoN, of Val ole, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Treating Fabrics to Render Them Adhesive, of which the following is a speci- -fication.

Inner soles for boots and shoes are frequently made of a layer of leather and an inner layer of fabric such as canvas which is cemented to the face of the leather. Much difficulty has been experienced heretofore in economically cementing together the layers of fabric and leather. It has been customary to coat a sheet of fabric, such as duck, canvas or the like, with a facing of rubber or rubber cement which is rendered sticky or adhesive by heat. The heat has been applied either by passing the sheet over a heated surface or else by passing it through a heated bath of water. When either of these methods is followed, care must be taken to bring the layer of the coated fabric and the layer of leather together while thecement 1s hot and before it has time to cool, for otherwise the heated cement rapidly cools and is ineffective.

The resent invention has for its object to provide a process of treating the fabric so that it may be initially handled and transported with ease and yet be made practically permanently sticky so that it may be attached with the greatest security to the face of the leather. In so doing, I dispense with the employment of any heating agency so far as rendering the facing or coating sticky, tacky or adhesive is concerned.

According to my method, I provide a sheet of textile material, such as duck, canvas, drilling or the like. I repare a bath or body of cement, the base 0 which is gutta percha. As gutta percha rapidly hardens and dries on its exposed surface, due to oxidation, I add to the gutta percha a gum which is known as pontianac, and also a quantity of as haltum to overcome this trouble. The addition of these ingredients reduces the melting oint of the gutta percha, and they ren er the latter more sticky and add to the adhesive strength thereof. In order that the sheet may be wound in a roll for transportation, I add to the mixture a quantity of any suitable filling or pigment such as calcium sulfate or common whiting. This mixture is preferably prepared with the ingredients in the following proportions: To 15 parts by weight of gutta percha, I add 5 parts by weight of pontianac and 5 parts by weight of liquid asphaltum. These are heated to the desired extent, and to the mass I add 20 pounds of whiting which is thoroughly stirred in. While the mixture is in a heated condition, it is spread upon the fabric sheet by any suitable means, the coat or facing being 4 to 5 millimeters thick. The coating or facing is then dried and the sheet is wound upon a reel. The roll, while the fabric is in this condition, may be transported without dauger of the convolutions upon the reel slicking together. When the fabric is to be applied to the leather layers of the inner soles, the coating is subjected to a further treatment to render its surface highly adhesive or sticky. This is accomplished, not by heating the coating or facing, but by subjecting it to the action of a cold solvent by an apparatus such as set forth and described in my United States Patent No. 921,229, dated May 11, 1909. It is necessary to use a solvent which will act upon not only the gutta percha, but also the pontianac and the asphaltum which form a part of the coating. I find that tctra-chlorid of carbon acts upon these substances in such manner as to render them almost permanently adhesive; that is to say, the action of the solvent, tetra-chlorid of carbon, upon the plastic components of the composition gutta percha, pontianac and asphaltum is to soften the face of the compound and maintain it in a softened, adhesive or sticky condition for a considerable length of time, say for in stance at least two weeks or longer. It is only necessary for the solvent to act upon the surface of the compound of which the coating is formed, and it does this to such an extent that the fabric may be caused to adhere to the face of the leather layer of the inner sole with the greatest tenacity.

In the event that the fabric is of the usual Width, say from '24; to 36 inches, L find it convenient to split it into strips after the coating has been applied and has been dried, so that each strip may be submitted separately to the action of the solvent.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described a way of constructingand using the same, although Without having attempted to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, what I claim is:

1. The herein described rocess of treating fabrics, which consists 1n applying to a face thereof a composition contain ng gutta percha and a body capable of maintaining the same in a plastic state, permitting the coating to dry, and subjecting said coating to the action of a splvent for the plastic components.

2. The herein described rocess of treating fabrics, which consists in applying to a face thereof a composition containing gutta percha and a body soluble in carbon tetrachlorid and capable of maintaining the gutta percha in a plastic state, permitting the coating to dry, and subjecting said coating to the action of carbon tetrachlorid.

3. The herein described process of treating fabrics, which consists in applying to a face thereof a composition containing gutta percha and asphaltum, permitting the coating to dry, and subjectmg said coating to the action of a solvent for the plastic components.

4:. The herein described ingfabrics, which consists 1n applying to a face thereof a composition containing gutta percha, asphaltum and pontianac, permitting the coating to dry, and subjecting said coating to the action of a solvent for the plastic components.

5. The herein described process of treating fabrics, which consists 1n applying to a face thereof a composition containing gutta percha, asphaltum and pontianac, permitting the coating to dry, and subjectln the coating to the action of carbon tetrach orid.

6. The herein-described coating for a fabric, consisting of gutta percha, asphaltuln, pontianac and whiting, substantially in the proportions specified.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

FREDERICK J. GLEASON.

Witnesses:

F. L. BUNKER, A. T. BALDWIN.

process of treat 

